Precious Memory
by AndThisHappened
Summary: Dia recalls a nostalgic memory from her dark past.


Dia, Mari and Kanan were spending the day at the mall.

"Okay Dia, so where do you want to go next?" Kanan asked her friend while they walked out of one of the innumerable and nondescript clothing stores the mall housed. They had all day until Mari's parents, or more likely a butler, would show up to take them home. They planned to take turns choosing which store to go in next. But Dia wouldn't answer.

"Dia?" Kanan asked again, annoyed.

"Dia do we really have to do this?" Mari sighed.

"I told you both I don't know any Dia anymore. My name as befitting my rebirth, is Dânêl."

The three girls were in their second year of junior high and at some point Dia, perhaps fed up with the constant pressure to be responsible, mature and perfect in the eyes of everyone she knew, had suddenly declared herself to be a fallen angel named Dânêl, who came to this realm to fulfill the will of the daevas. And thus began her chuunibyou phase, complete with eye patch, cape, and mumbling about her "right hand". Kanan and Mari tried to humor her at first but as the months wore on, they found themselves losing their patience.

"Look "Dânêl" you have to stop this at some point. But just tell us where you want to go." Kanan restated her question. Dia pouted and led them to a goth store across the hall. She felt bad. She didn't want to bother her friends. But it seemed like she was the only one who couldn't express herself. Her sister Ruby had always been a crybaby, but she was also the family rebel, whereas Dia felt like she couldn't ever say no to her family's wishes.

The day carried on, with the girls moving from store to store, occasionally buying clothing or cheap jewelry or a video game, but mostly just window shopping and enjoying each other's company. It would have been a perfect day, except at some point Dia found herself separated from her friends.

She looked around frantically, trying not to panic. The city was exciting. But this is why she didn't like it. There were too many people. She tried to reassure herself that at least they were in a building. Surely they'd find each other eventually then? But she still felt tears well up in her eyes.

She had told them she was going to use the restroom. She thought they heard her. But when she came back, they were gone. It was an accident right? Surely they wouldn't have abandoned her. But Dia couldn't help but think maybe they had just gotten sick of her.

"I don't blame them…" she muttered to herself as she wandered aimlessly, lugging her bags around. She was almost in full pity party mode when out of the corner of her eye she saw a kid a couple years younger than herself, crouching behind one of the potted trees that decorated the mall. The girl looked like she had been crying.

"Are you okay?" Dia asked her. The girl looked up. She seemed surprised that anyone noticed her. She wore her hair in an odd fashion, with some of it pulled into a bun on the right side of her head.

"No…I'm fine." She tried to bluff. Dia smiled kindly and crouched down next to the girl.

"People don't usually cry when they're fine. What's wrong?"

"I…I lost something important to me. It's all I have left from a friend I haven't seen in years."

"Can I help you find it?" Dia asked.

"I don't think it can be found. I always have bad luck like that. Maybe it's a sign from God."

"What do you mean?"

"She was my only friend. I'm not like other kids. But she always liked me anyway. When I moved away she gave me a stuffed bat as a gift. But now I've lost it. Maybe God's telling me to just grow up." The girl began crying again. Dia patted her on the head and tried to comfort her.

"God? I'd disown any God who would tell you that." The confidence in her voice, and her strange words, urged the girl to look at her. Dia shot to her feet and continued. "Bad luck? God? Buu buu desu wa! As a servant of the daevas, I exist to throw such antiquated notions into discord! I am Dânêl, fallen from the highest realms of the seraphim, and I will ensure you recover your treasure!" Dia stood triumphant, and the girl's eyes sparkled as stared at her.

"My name is Yohane! I was unjustly cast out from the heavens by a capricious god!" the girl's personality changed and her voice deepened as she stood up, filled with renewed determination.

Dia chuckled ominously and then "Come then my compatriot in hell, and we will show up God by taking this realm for our own. There is nowhere the angels or their minions can hide your treasure from us." She shifted her bags to one hand, and with her free one, took hold of Yohane's own as they set off to find her stuffed bat.

It wasn't an easy search. The bat was bright purple, but it was also small, keychain sized, so it would be easy to overlook. Dia refused to consider the possibility that it had been found and claimed by someone else. The two scoured the mall thoroughly as they advanced; retracing every step Yohane had taken throughout numerous stores.

Yohane no longer showed any sign of the upset kid she had been when Dia found her, and was upbeat as they casually chatted while they searched. Dia thought how nice it was to meet someone she could share her persona with. They hadn't found the bat yet but Dia wasn't about to be discouraged or let this girl down.

Unfortunately at the last stop, there was still no sign of the bat.

"What a cunning God, to try and deceive us like this. Surely we have missed something." Dia declared. Yohane was looking less confident now.

"Dânêl, what if he sent one of his agents to take the bat to another realm, just to spite us?"

"Nonsense. It is here. I can feel it. But where?"

Yohane thought to herself how cool this older girl looked. And how cool it was for her to just stop and help her like this.

"Think, my infernal seraphim. There's something vital we've missed. Was there anywhere else you visited?"

"No." Yohane replied. There hadn't been anywhere else. "If it isn't here then where?"

"Hmm." Dia turned her gaze toward the entrance to the store. Outside was the rest of the mall. But more importantly, this mall has several levels. And they were on the second level. "Did you lean over the railing at any point?"

"No. Oh but I did trip and fall over." Yohane recalled. "How does that help though?"

"Where did you trip? Lead us there." Dia commanded, and so they retraced their steps once again.

Once there Dia leaned over the railing and shouted "Aha!"

"What is it? You found it?" Yohane asked excitedly. Dia pointed down. Yohane leaned over and saw it too. The bat was sitting on top of one of the kiosks situated below.

"But how?"

"It must've either fallen off the walkway when you tripped, or it got kicked over the edge at some point. Let's go." The two girls hurried towards the escalator and made their way to the ground floor. The employee at the kiosk was confused but obliged them, getting a stepstool and getting the bat down for them. They thanked the employee, walked over to some benches and sat down.

"Thank you!" Yohane hugged Dia ecstatically.

Dia was happy, but then she remembered Mari and Kanan.

"Are you okay?" Yohane asked, noticing the change in Dia's countenance. "Did you lose something too?"

"No I'm fine, I-"

"Dia!"

Suddenly two voices called out, and Mari and Kanan came running toward them. Dia was surprised to see her friends.

"What happened? Where'd you go?" Kanan asked.

"I said I was going to the restroom, but I guess you didn't hear me." She said dejectedly.

"I'm so sorry." Kanan apologized.

"I thought you were just ignoring me when I asked you where we should eat, but then I turned around and you were gone." Mari explained. "We were so worried about you."

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to worry you two." Dia felt ashamed to have ever thought they could abandon her.

"Why didn't you stay where you were though? We were looking all over for you." Kanan asked.

"I was helping her find something she'd lost." Dia said, gesturing towards her new friend.

"That's just like you." Kanan smiled.

"Hey do you want to join us?" Mari asked Yohane.

"Ah, I have to meet my mom soon actually." Yohane suddenly remembered, then turned to Dia. "I had fun today, thanks." Yohane wanted to ask if she could see her again, but hesitated. Dia picked up on her intentions.

"Kukuku. Infernal seraphim, my fellow in hell, we are forevermore bonded. It matters not what the gods will, for we will stand together, yes even on the eve of Ragnarok will we find each other."

* * *

Dia cringed every time she remembered how she used to behave. It wasn't long after that day though that she finally dropped the chuunibyou act. She had made Kanan and Mari swear to never speak a word of that era to anyone. And she trusted her beloved sister Ruby to never mention it as well.

Dia glanced across the table at Yoshiko bantering with Ruby and Hanamaru while the rest of Aqours tried to figure out their next performance. When Dia first joined Aqours she was worried that Yoshiko would bring that day up. But she never did. Yoshiko didn't seem to recognize her as having been Dânêl.

And if she was being honest, Dia would have admitted feeling a little sad at having a precious memory and no one to share it with. She wondered if Yoshiko ever felt the same, or if she had forgotten the day altogether. They weren't particularly close now. She wondered if she had just given Yoshiko a phone number instead of her fallen angel shtick before running off with Kanan and Mari, would they have become friends? If she were to bring that day up, how would Yoshiko react? But Dia wouldn't. Aside from that day she'd prefer to forget Dânêl.

"What are you smiling about?" Yoshiko asked, breaking Dia out of her daydream.

"Nothing." Dia blushed but quickly regained her composure and called the rowdy girls to order.

They had found each other again. And they had found a place where they belonged.

* * *

 _Silly short inspired by some fanart of Dia being a dork._


End file.
